Just in time for you to trade in your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, a new iPhone hardware issue involving the 2014 model cellular iDevice has hit the news wire – Touch Disease.

Touch Disease is a hardware defect effecting both iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices and is identified by a malfunction in the touch screen where user touch input is not read or not interpreted correctly and therefore ignored by the device. Symptoms of the defect are usually preceded by a grey flickering band at the top of the screen, just under the iSight camera and speaker, regardless of device orientation. This symptom can be sporadic and may respond to torqueing or pressing on the device.

Replacing the touch screen does not resolve the issue.

According to Apple Insider, the issue may be related to the 2015 “Bend-gate” issue where the larger and thinner smartphones were warping due to inappropriate and in proportionate pressure or force being applied to the screen and to the device case, causing it to bend. This was most often seen by users who carried their device in their back pocket, and then sat down, causing the device to warp and bend in appropriately.

The relation of Touch Disease to Bend-gate is likely in eventual cracking or breaking of solder joints breaking on the device’s touch controller chips. Your device’s touch screen ignores input because the electrical connections to it its controller chips have been interrupted.

This is further exacerbated due to the fact that Apple didn’t use any underfil (sticky stuff) to keep the touch screen control chips securely attached to the PCB. Instead of using a metal shield to further keep the chips in place and to help prevent device bending, Apple chose to go with a sticker (literally… a STICKER) instead.

There are a couple/ three fixes available for this, if your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus device has Touch Disease:

1. Device Replacement – If you have Apple Care, and you can demonstrate the issue for any Apple Genius, they will likely just swap the device out for you. However, the new device you get is still likely Touch Disease susceptible, so you may have to change the way you carry and use the device or it’s going to happen again. This is likely the quickest way to solving your problem; and its likely free
2. Logic Board Replacement – This takes longer, but will also resolve the problem, provided your case isn’t bent or warped, in which case, you’d be better off with a complete device replacement. This is likely covered under Apple Care (and will likely be what Apple does to all effected units it refurbs); but will probably only happen to you if you go somewhere else OTHER than an Apple Store to resolve the issue or if you don’t have Apple Care.
3. Solder Reflow – Repair shops can simply apply enough heat to the existing, broken solder joints and get the solder to reconnect the chips to the PCB. However, this will likely invalidate any warranty you have.
4. Purchase a New iPhone – Many uses without Apple care or Assurion warranty coverage are finding that the only real way to resolve the issue for them is to buy another device.

I was able to see on Mashable that non-Apple Care covered repairs could cost you anywhere between $85 to $250 bucks. New devices are going to be much higher than that depending on where you buy.

This issue does not affect the iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus, as it uses a less bendable, 7000 series aluminum case.

Has your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus exhibited signs of iPhone Leprosy, or Touch Disease? Did you have an issue with Bend-gate? Do you carry your device in either a front pants or rear pants pocket? Have you noticed that your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus exhibits a slight bend or warp to its casing? I’d love to hear from you if you’ve had any of these things happen to you. Why don’t you meet me in the Discussion area below, and tell me about it?